After five years, alt-rock band The Republic of Wolves is back with a new video — and, soon, a new full-length album.
Their new music video, “Mitama,” is a heavy, deep rock song driven by a purposefully uneasy feeling and mysterious sound. It marks the band’s return to a harder rock sound. Their previous full-length album, 2013’s No Matter How Narrow, has a heavy folk influence. In high contrast, “Mitama” is full of screams, prominent drum beats, and gritty guitar lines.
The song finds strength in its distortion throughout, which adds an unsettled characteristic. It climaxes in a guitar solo, building in intensity with a background of distant screams. Slowly, it fades away, and the song ends with a gentle and pleading vocal line. It almost seems to disappear into the distance, leaving you at the end of a whirlwind journey.
It’s a definite return to The Republic of Wolves’s alternative rock origins, and it’s clear in the well-developed sounds and complexity that they’ve truly found their musical niche.
The Republic of Wolves’s New Album shrine is a Culmination of Hard Work
After years of writing, experimenting, and recording, The Republic of Wolves’ third full-length album, shrine, is due out March 27. For the band, it’s a special landmark in the development of their sound.
“Thus far, it feels like the most complete representation of who we are collectively as artists,” lead singer and guitarist Mason Maggio explained. “Lyrically, it’s a roughly narrative concept album, drawing inspiration from mythology and folklore, and musically, it’s the amalgamation of three years’ worth of ideas and experimentation — all leading to a cohesive body of work that we’re immensely proud of.”
The pride and hard work that The Republic of Wolves poured into their newest record is already clear in its single, “Mitama.”
The first hint of shrine came back in 2016, with the release of its first single, “Northern Orthodox.”
It’s an interesting combination of beautiful melodies and heavy, screaming sections. The melodic lines draw you in, but the moments of intensity and loudness keep you there. Together, the blend works to show the versatility that The Republic of Wolves has created for themselves.
The Republic of Wolves’s third full-length album, shrine, is due out March 27.
